Rolf's Castle - Least Used Station on Sodor
by trainlife
Summary: Yet another Least Used Station! This time we're on the Island of Sodor, famous for its railways and accompanying documentary series; this is yet another island that we didn't include in All the Stations.


**Rolf's Castle - Least Used Station on the Island of Sodor**

"It's a beautiful autumn day here on Sodor." Geoff Marshall addresses the camera as Vicki tags on along behind him, "We're here at Vicarstown, one of the island's busiest mainline stations, to do… the Least Used Station on Sodor."

Geoff pauses at the point at which the intro sequence will later be edited in, while the large blue express engine - whose train they're planning to catch - stares at them oddly.

"Sodor has several Least Used Stations, but most of them are on narrow gauge lines. So we're going to the least used heavy rail station, which is…" Geoff turns to Vicki, who completes the title of today's episode.

"Rolf's Castle!"

The two flinch slightly as a large green engine's whistle sounds, before it departs the station with what looks to be a goods train.

"We're about to board the 0710 Express service towards Tidmouth, but we'll be getting off at Kellsthorpe Road. To the trains!" Geoff announces, as the pair enter the antiquated express coaches that are so favoured on the island. A muffled "_I don't see what the fuss is_" comes from the locomotive's direction.

* * *

"So how's your _Wild Nor' Wester_ experience so far?" Geoff asks as he points the camera at Vicki. A few other passengers give them odd looks, but return to their own newspapers and phones quickly.

"It's brilliant. The seats are certainly better than the ones on the Virgin train up to Lancaster. And check out the moquette!"

Geoff too admires the deep red moquette that bedecks the wooden seating, "A classic design. Very in keeping with the aesthetic of the whole line."

"Are you excited about the steam trains, Geoff?"

Geoff nods, taking a sip from his flask of tea, "Very."

The pair decide to turn the camera to the scenery they're passing. Among the twee villages and farms, a cocky-looking red steam engine passes them going the other way. A faint "_Here's James_!" is just audible in his slipstream.

* * *

Disembarking at Kellsthorpe Road, Vicki jogs up the length of the platform towards the engine that pulled the train. Pulling out her phone and pointing it at the engine, Geoff approaches,

"Tweeting it?"

"No, Instagram. Sodor's very _quaint_. A ten on the Quaint Scale."

The blue engine raises an eyebrow at being described as 'quaint', but is due to set off before he can do anything other than splutter.

"We have twenty minutes here before the train to Kirk Ronan leaves… is there anywhere to get a tea?" Geoff wonders aloud.

"Yep," says a silver tank engine as he runs round his coaches on the branch line platform, "there's a Pumpkin Café just over there."

Geoff and Vicki turn around to see where the engine is indicating, and make for the café.

"The engine has just informed us that his name is Stanley, but he doesn't want to appear on camera. He's more used to being in the supporting cast than a lead role apparently." Geoff turns the camera to then face Vicki, who is beaming at the prospect of going down the 'quaint' branch line.

* * *

The journey down the branch line towards Rolf's Castle is mainly spent filming the scenery; there is little other traffic coming up the line.

"There are only two stations on the Kirk Ronan branch," Geoff informs the camera, "three including the interchange just then. Our stop is the next one. You see, Kirk Ronan is rather large; it takes the bulk of the line's passengers."

"Geoff! It's the castle! Look!" Vicki exclaims, turning eagerly back towards the window. Geoff follows with the camera, and we see an imposing building at the crest of a hill.

"_It's only a model!_" emanates a voice from the engine's direction. The Monty Python reference is outdated, but neither of them say anything as the engine himself is about 50 years out of date.

The pair disembark at Rolf's Castle, camera quickly focussing on the station sign that is bedecked in a gaudy flower display.

"Right, so quick facility check – is there a help point? Nope. Ticket office? No. Ticket machine? Also no. Refreshments? No! There is, however, one platform, and a second track for freight. And what appears to be a bin bag blowing in the breeze."

In the final edit, this is where the camera would cut to an artistic shot of a bin bag blowing in the breeze.

"So…numbers!" Geoff announces, turning to Vicki, "Judging by how many people got off here with us-" the camera pans to show that they were the only passengers to get off at the station, "-how many passengers do you think this place gets in a year?"

Vicki ponders for a moment, "5000?"

"Close. 6247. And there are no timetable boards here either, but I can tell you that the service provision is 4 services a day, Mondays to Fridays only. So that's roughly 17.1 passengers per day." He pans to demonstrate the emptiness of the station environs, before cutting the camera.

* * *

"Today on Vicki Explores: the eponymous Rolf's Castle!" Vicki gestures to the castle just behind her, "Built in about the 11th century and rebuilt in the 17th century, this castle is now a conference centre."

"How much business is conducted in rural Sodor, I wonder." Geoff jokes from behind the camera.

"Built by the Bishop of Sodor and Man, Rolf, as a fortification, it fell into disuse following the Civil War. Until the 20th century, this place continued to be owned by minor local nobility, until they sold it off when its upkeep became too costly. The station dates back to the mid-19th century, when the family attempted to kickstart the heritage movement on the island."

"Wait a second," Geoff begins, "I looked at the Wikipedia article on the castle too – where are you getting all this information?"

Vicki blinks at him, "From that old blue engine we met last night at Vicarstown – Edward, I think?"

"Ah, right." Geoff nods, and turns the camera towards the neo-classical exterior of the castle, belying its medieval roots.

* * *

Vicki is on the station's platform, "48, 49…"

A green tank engine trundles past on the freight track, "What on earth is she doing?" he appears to ask his brake van, who replies, "I don't rightly know, Mr. Oliver."

"272 feet long!" comes the shout from Vicki's end of the platform.

"Well, at least it's not 68. Otherwise I feel we'd have to reference that annoying little box cab from yesterday." Geoff groans. A short pause. "That's not making the edit. We don't want to offend him!"

"Is there anything else to do in this area?" Vicki asks.

"I don't think so. That's why that documentary series about the island hardly ever comes here."

"At least the trains are friendly."

* * *

Geoff turns the camera on and props it up on the table, pointing in his direction, "OK, so update on all the trains being friendly: this bright red one we've caught back to Vicarstown is something else. He says his name is James, and that he wants to be the star of our show. I might just edit him out. Anyway, that was the Least Used Station on Sodor!"


End file.
